The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-07-20
WORKING UNDER WATER.
DIVERS SOMETIMES SLEEP ON THE
RIVERS BED.
A Now York Diver Tells All About
the Risks and Profits of the Busi-

a chair in stateroom and bending over
book as though he had been reading
when he was drowned9 Never. Nor
has any other diver"
"Then the tales one hears about such
matters are little off"
They're simply lies. There's more
lying about diving than about any other
occupation
'tiive me straight story"
"Well, TO begin with, I'll dispose of
that yarn about corpses being found sit
ting in chairs in the staterooms of sunken
steamers. I've been in sunkcn steamers
that were full of corpses. There was, for
instance, the Hamburg steamer Cimbria,
which went down in the North Sea some
five years ago, with 500 cmigrants. land
two other divers from here, who were
sent for to help in getting out the cargo
literally worked among hundreds of
corpscs. The ceilings were lined with
lhcmn
"'rhe ccilingsf'
eyes, sir, A diver working a vessel
Tor corpses feels for them along che cell
ings il the wreck is older than couple of
lays. If he goes into her only day or
two after she went down, he feels along
both the floors and ceilings. That's where
the corpses are; not in chairs.n
"Why did they send away over here
Tor divers to 90 down into the Cimbrial'
because New York divers are on the
top of the heap The reason is that most
Of their work is done in the dark for it's
pitch dark under the water around New
York. ] suppose it's on account of the
sewage. A driver from other waters
can't work in those around New York.
But New York diver can work in the
clear waters elsewhere twice as fast rs
the local divers because his sense Of touch
sense Of touch under watcr-is so finely
Developed. We New York divers can
tell various metals, if they are under
water, apart by sense of touch; but if
they are not under water We can feel no
difference between them Here, for in
stance, are piece of copper and piece
of brass. Put them on the table and
blindfold me and l can't tell which is
which. Chuck 'em in the basin and
pour water over them, and | can tell the
moment touch the pieces which is the
copper and which is the brass"
do you dive much for trcasurc"
'There's not much Of that going on
now. The biggest job of that kind was
the Hussar The work on that had to be
done many feet under the bed of the
river
''Right where she went DOWN.
Fright where she went down over a
hundred years ago. A wreck remains
just on the same spot where first she
reaches bottom. As years roll on she
works down, down into the bed of the
river. And 50, where the Hussar sank so
long ago, lies her hulk. The diver got
out the stern-post but didn't find any
treasure. don't believe that any treas
ure will be found on the site of the wreck.
have heard that official documents in
England show that, after the Hussar
struck, the treasure was loaded into her
barge, which upset from the shifting of
some boxes of the coin opposite red
house on Randall's Island. Some people
have crazy notion that Captain Kidd's
vessel with vast deal of treasure went
down off Pcekskill, and not long ago a
syndicate employed diver for two sum
mers. He didn't find trace of wreck.
Some divers who haven't been long
enough in the profession to be constantly
employed and have good deal of
time on their hands, work old wrecks;
but there isn't fair days wages in such
jobs. Sometimes, however, we hear of
o!d wrecks that haven't been worked yet,
and they are worth .looking. afs,er Two
.,E Xca 20 one dfeaasss vas building
the foundation for pier of the bridge at
Saybrook heard that schooner loaded
with coal and copper had gone down
there some thirty-tive years ago He
placed the wreck and got out the cargo,
which was still in prime condition"
"What does divers outfit consist
OFF,
"A boat, pump, hose, lines and dress.
The dress consists of layers of duck and
rubber. The shoes weigh twenty pounds
each. On his chest and back he carries
-forty.pound weights The helmet. when
it has been placed over the divers head,
is firmly screwed into copper collar that
is attached TO his dress. a weighted
line is sunk to the spot he is to reach,
and down that line he goes with the life
line around his waist and the hose
through which the air is pumped, at
tached to his helmet. Those who handle
the lifeline and hose must regulate these
as he moves about below"
"What are divers working day and
his wagcsl"
-Four hours and SO. If he furnishes
his own apparatus his wages are higher
$35 to $50 day. For getting a hawser
!, est OF steamers screw I'd charge $50
if furnished my own apparatus.
Il suppose part of the charge is for
the risks you rung'
"Yes, diver is exposed to good
many dangers. One of them, you'll be
surprised to learn, is falling asleep. On
hot day the contrast between the heat
above and the delicious GOODNESS below
water is apt TO make diver sleepy. l
once slept an hour and half at the bot
tom OF wreck near Kingston, where |
was laying pipe. Suppose that had hap
pened in the channel near Governors Is
land, where the tide runs so swift that a
diver can work only during the one hour
of slack water. II I'd slept over that
one hour the deadly rush of the tide
would have snapped the lifeline and
hose. Then in working wrecks there is
danger of getting jammed in between
the freight or of getting the hose or line
tangled. When the hose snaps the fright
ful pressure kills the diver. He is sick
eningly distorted by it,"
Are there many expert divers in New
York;"
"Lookw He held out shield-shaped
badge on which Yves engraved, "New
York Divers License, F. c., No. II
ssWhat does r q etond Co. y,